Will you give me your honest opinion concerning this post about Trig Palin on Wonkette?

Disgusting. It is never okay to target children, period, let alone to make fun of a child’s handicap – or anyone’s disability.
Nothing about it is okay.

Tasteless, it’s never ok to make fun a child because of their parent’s handicap. :P

@everephebe nice, lol.

Not effective and turns the corner from ‘making a political point about a candidate’ to ‘tasteless attack showing who the real dummy is.’ (ie, the writer of the piece.) REALLY fast.

Just goes to show, you can take a journalist out of class, but there never was any class in this journalist.

I think that it’s about par for the course. There was a time when watching a grown man get hit in the pelotas in a variety of ways was considered high culture and greatly entertaining, yet we have managed to find a way to devolve since then. And considering all of the stuff that the Right puts out, I suppose it isn’t any worse than that.

That said, I don’t think Trig deserves to be targeted because his grandmother is a moron.

I see how the author was trying to be abrasive and “run with the in crowd” so to speak. Many writers use the Palin family as a huge entertainment piece. I normally don’t care, I find that the constant banter about the Palin’s is absolutely annoying at this point.

But when they make such a low stab at the Palin’s by making fun of a defenseless child, who on top of that has a mental disability, that is just wrong. It’s completely tasteless. Including a child who can’t even speak up for themselves is bad media. I understand that Palin uses her family as a marketing tool, but when you start making fun of a child who obviously can’t help being born with a disability OR being born into a family plagued with other disabilities. He could have obviously come up with another clever article concerning Palin’s many issues. The writer obviously doesn’t have class if they are stooping so low.

It’s never okay to target a child of disability. It’s never a laughing matter when a child has said problems. If you’re not intelligent or clever enough to come up with an article that targets an issue in an adult manner, then you don’t deserve your title.

Disgusting and ignorant. To suggest that a downs Syndrone child doesn’t dream?
I am not a Palin fan by any stretch of the imagination, but this is proof that if you go to far in either direction you end up in the same place.
“Stupid, meet stupid.”

Not cool. Not cool at all.

This is crazy! What is retarded here is wonkette.com. They seen to be too slow to realized that Tina Fey single handedly destroyed Pailin’s career on Saturday Night Live a couple years ago. Pailin is not and never will be a viable Presidential candidate. Nevertheless NORONS on the left keep trying to do her in.

I just found this information online concerning this post:

Apparently some of Wonkette’s advertisers are dropping their sponsorship: Papa John’s Pizza, Vanguard, and Huggies have announced they will drop the site.

Wonkette is calling for a boycott of Papa John’s, so it’s time to stop by for Pizza, folks.

Thanks for the responses. You all surprised me in a good way.

This is so cruel it defies description. Hate on Palin if you must but this is just way over the top and demeaning an innocent child.

I have a niece with Down syndrome and it’s glaringly obvious that this guy has never had an encounter with one of these little bundles of love.

And the ridiculous part is that he adds a brief “disclaimer” (I won’t dignify it by using the term apology) that the only thing he regrets is using the word retarded.

While not currently in use because some other ignoramuses have co-opted it to use as an insult, at least it is more accurate in description than all of the rest of the garbage and insinuations he spews giving the impression that these kids are less than human and don’t have feelings.

I’ve made no secret of my distaste for Palin’s politics but I can honestly say that I have respect for their decision not to abort.

It was discovered early enough in the pregnancy so that they could have done it silently without others knowing about it so as not to have an adverse effect upon her career.

But they didn’t. And I respect her for that. For not doing the easy thing.

As a politician, I despise her. As a mother, I respect her.

There were certainly other ways for this particular writer to make a point about his opinion that she is using the child for political gain without demeaning the child. Demean her all you want. She’s an adult and can stick up for herself quite well. Leave the child alone, scumbag.

I’m sure the woman who originally started Wonkette as a little blog and later sold it now rues the day of that decision. When she was the sole owner, it was trenchant, smart and had a great sense of intelligent humor. Boy, have things changed.

I’ll be buying my Pizza from Papa John in the future.

@Buttonstc As a politician, I despise her. As a mother, I respect her.

I feel the same. It’s nice to hear someone else say this.

Well, you did ask for an honest opinion :)

I just get so sick and tired of how both sides of the political aisle resort to personally demonizing those who hold views contrary to their own. It’s so unnecessary.

They would be so much more credible if they would focus upon the issues and positions alone.

@Buttonstc I don’t know how much I respect her as a mother. I don’t think she spends much time with her kids.

I was speaking in regards to her decision not to abort. I really don’t have any accurate knowledge of how much time she does or doesn’t spend with her kids, do you?

And how is this different from millions of other working mothers in our country ? (except for the fact that many of the other working moms in our country may not have access to the same resources both financial and the availability of Grandparents and other family members to help take up the slack). Are they also viewed to be “bad mothers” in your eyes ?

Does it really irk you that much to read even the slightest positive thing about someone with whose politics you disagree?

I hate her political positions and think she is woefully unprepared to be either VP or Pres. But the plain fact remains that she and her husband did not take the easy way out. A “miscarriage” could have just as easily been announced and no one would have been the wiser.

An abortion would certainly have been a whole lot easier.
She chose to have this child.

For that, she has my respect.

He preceded it with:

I regret this post and using the word “retarded” in a reference to Sarah Palin’s child. It’s not nice, and is not necessary, but I take responsibility for writing it. For those who came and are offended by this post: I’m sorry, of course. But I stand by my criticism of Sarah Palin using her child as a political prop.

Then proceeds to write horrific things. I don’t see how he can both “regret” his post, and apologize in advance – then spew out such horrific hatred, vile vulgarities and disgusting diatribes. I was underwhelmed, unentertained and slightly sickened. I shant make the mistake of wasting time on his spatter in future.

@seazen_ I think the ‘preface’ was written after the whole thing blew up in his face.

Yes, and rather than removing it completely – or actually apologizing – he prefaces it by saying: But I stand by my criticism of Sarah Palin using her child as a political prop.

That isn’t saying you’re sorry – that’s spinning it and milking it.

Demonstrates a lack of understanding about Down’s Syndrome.

There are members of the Palin family more deserving of ridicule to take a poke at than a child with a disability.

Just the sort of ignorant, malignant, biased, hypocritical bullshit I have come to expect from liberals.

@CaptainHarley You do realize that most of us answering this question are liberals, right? We’re all appalled, so please don’t lay this at our feet.

The person writing that is in the same category as Marilyn Davenport.

@CaptainHarley This guy has also written some really berating stuff about Democrats. The guy is NOT a journalist. He writes for The Onion. He tries to be funny and clever and often proves to be neither. Your comment shows that you’re happy to throw accusations around before even looking into the facts. What does that say about you?

Cruel.

Sickening.

I find it totally disgusting.

@cazzie Um… that I’ve been hanging around with liberals too much? : )

thinks that @CaptainHarley wants Glenn Beck’s spot at Fox

@CaptainHarley Just as long as you remember that that door swings both ways. Both sides are full of ignorance, bias, and hypocrisy, and I see far more of it from people who call themselves Conservatives; ignorant to the point where even third-grade math is forgotten for the sake of ideology, biased to the point of deafness, and hypocritical enough to give me a large, tempting target.
It is ignorance that made Palin such a favorite for comedians and critics, and the hypocrisy of preaching family values while your unwed, underage daughter pops out a kid (possibly her second) is not lost on those who are not blinded by anti-liberal bias.

@cazzie Nah. He’s just a cranky old Texan with strong opinions. Good guy though….

Why make fun of Palin on this when there’s so many other things? The Republican Party does not need that woman empowered…Her versus Obama would be like a Div III school taking on last years national champions in college football.

Wonkette is a “left leaning” organization (source Wikipedia), but if I were a lib I would seek to distance myself from this trash.

What a jerk! Children should be off limits, for demeaning or use a political tool.

I didn’t ask this question to bash the left at all, @CaptainHarley. Some of you may know from my previous comments on other questions that I tend to fall in the middle. I hate extremes on both ends. I think this man is disgusting for writing this and I wanted the opinion from those here at Fluther, since I know the majority here are liberal (and passionately hate Sarah Palin). I hate to say I was expecting some to find this post humorous. Like I said earlier, you all pleasantly surprised me.

I would liken this writing to something that would spew out of Ann Coulter’s mouth. Both extremes are filth. imo :/

@jonsblond completely agree. Sickening to see that he went to Georgetown and probably paid a fortune for his ‘education’ as well. What a waste.

When I’m not on my high horse, I can be friends with leftists, but lately I’ve been so upset with Obama that my skin is very thin. Sorry!

Therein lies the dangers of asking for an honest opinion.

Definitely crosses the line. Why can’t people who have disagreements with politicians base them on the policies and not create sideshows? Why?

No intelligent adult would swing so low so he’s clearly an idiot. But there are many of those around, in the media. @jonsblond I don’t know why you’re suprised at fluther’s responses – did you think that because many of us think Palin is a dumbass that we’d be okay with some random person making fun of her child? @CaptainHarley Your comment is flame-bait and was flagged as such.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir I’ve seen many terrible statements concerning Sarah’s children here at Fluther. That’s why I thought that. And I wouldn’t considered @CaptainHarley‘s comment flamebate. I’ve seen just as worse said about conservatives here. He did apologize.

@jonsblond Oh, weird. I haven’t. Maybe about Bristol? She’s not a child. Was it about her dance skills? ‘Cause I keep that to my Facebook, :)

@Simone_De_Beauvoir No, this wasn’t recent. When I first joined, just after the election in 2008. I was one of the very few that took a stand against the hateful remarks against her children because I thought it was uncalled for. Attack Sarah, not the children, who were all underage at the time.

@jonsblond I agree with you there. As for the apology you mention, so did the person on Wonkette. Feel better? Me neither.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir I’d like to add I didn’t expect everyone to think it was humorous, but I did expect one or two at least to admit they found it funny. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised.

Well…. I’m the leftist liberal Capt. H is fearful of, and I didn’t think it funny at all. The article was horrible, tactless, and more importantly, as a journalist, trying to tell a story or getting a point across, he simply worsened his case. This kind of writing that actually gets published, even in the fringe sections of publication it reaches, is harmful. It’s lose-lose.

Edit… actually, the cynic in me just got the better, and I’m going to say that this simply aids the ‘Palin Camp’ by giving them fuel to burn in their, ‘Look how we are victimised because we saved babies from the evil abortion people.’.... But that sort of crap gets flung only after the real, human, emotional hurt has been afflicted and that’s what’s real. The other shit the Palin people will come up with is rubbish spin and will paint anyone who opposes her for REAL reasons with the same brush as this idiot who wrote such a stupid piece and got it published because he’s managed to graduate from Georgetown University.

I think the comments are lowbrow and completely out of line.

However, I have to add to those that say that children should be off limits, I agree, which is why I think Palin shouldn’t have thrust her child into the limelight, using him as a prop.